In July, research work is underway on a project that received a grant from the Student Innovation Fund, where an opinion survey is being conducted for foreign tourists. A summer employee of the Knowledge Network, Zakaría Soualem (Zakki), who is studying civil and environmental engineering at the University of Iceland, is working on the research, which focuses on the state and development of tourism in Húsavík and the Mývatn area, The same questions will be used as those from the last survey conducted by Lilja Berglind to examine the development of tourism over the past 10 years. In addition, questions will be added to shed light on the impact of film and television scenes on visitors' trips. Húsavík and the Mývatn area are among the locations that have been used as filming locations for international films and series, e.g. James Bond, Game of Thrones, and the Eurovision Song Contest. Zakki will soon be recruiting interviewees from among foreign tourists for the study.
The number of recording studios has increased rapidly over the last 20 years. In recent years, the Icelandic state has promoted an improved support system for filmmaking and supports self-initiated projects in film culture at home, prepares a streaming service, and encourages better film production throughout the country. Strengthening film production in Iceland will result in a more diverse economic base, with an emphasis on sectors based on innovation, creativity and sustainability. It will also strengthen the Icelandic language and the nation's identity, and the aim is for Iceland to be able to compete with other countries in film production.
An interviewer in Húsavík must take into account that they are not targeting large tourist attractions, such as whale watching, the whale museum, etc. However, to avoid bias in the survey, it is impossible to eliminate all bias as the survey is conducted mostly in or near the harbour area, where most tourists are in Húsavík, so the survey will always contain some bias. To maximise efficiency and diversity, the interviewer travelled between these four locations at regular intervals during the survey.